Multicycle.



nu. 647,785. PatentedApr. |7, |900. .1. c. ANDERSON.

MULTICYCLE.I

(Apizlication led Aug. 9, 1899.) (N0 Model.) 3 Sheets-'Sheet I.

No. 647,785. Patented Apr.. I7, |900.

J. C. ANDERSDN; MULIICYCLE.

A plication led Aug. 9, 1

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0. o W1. r. p

A d e t n e t a P J. 5. 8 7, 7 4 6 m N MULTICYCLE.

(Application filed Aug. 9, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

yturni) STAT-ns PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. ANDERSON, OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS.

i VIULTICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. @L7/285, datedrAprilv1'?, 1900.

Application filed August 9, 1899.

To @ZZ whom it may concern- Beit known that I, JAMES C. ANDERSON, acitizen ofthe United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county ofLake and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Multicycles; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and ex` act description of th e' invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and flguresof .reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification. Y Y

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in bicycles,and has for one object, primarily, the production of what I denominate amulticycle, which may be added to for the purpose of increasing itscarrying capacity, and4 when arranged as hereinafter set forth may; bedivided or separated to constitute a number ot' individual .tandemshaving substantiallythe characteristics as such of a machine describedand illustrated in an application filedlby me of even date herewith,Serial No. 726,693, for an improvement in tandem bicycles.

It has for a further object to provide a machine in which every Wheelconstituting the multicycle, with the exception of the first of theseries, shall become a steering-wheel, whereby a movement analogous tothat of a snake may, when desired, be imparted to the machine.

It has for a further object to so construct and connect theseveral/unitary sections that each of the riders will receive but onemo-l mentum shock when the machine encounters ordinary obstructions, andthat the machine throughout its length may have a verticallyundulatorymotion in order that it mayaccommodate itself to the uneven surface ofthe roadway.

It has for a further object to lessen the slipping friction of thedriving-Wheels existing in all bicycles carrying more than two riders bydispensing with all devices of any character whatever for transmittingthe motive force from two or more fixed localities to one commondriving-Wheel, and likewise Serial No. 726,692. (No model.)

to avoid the sluing or sidewise slipping of all of the wheels succeedingthe steeringwheel. The slipping action of the driving'- wheel of allbicycles as at present constructed is due to the fact that there is onlyone drivingwvheel, Whether the frame be mounted upon two or more wheels,and consequently the combined motive force of all of the riders istransmitted to such wheel, the traction of which is depended upon topush, as it were, all wheels in advance of such driver, and consequentlythe friction -of such advance wheels and the weight carried by themreacting against the propelling force causes the driving-wheel to slipin an obvious manner. The sluing or sidewise-slipping movement of thewheels in turning corners necessarily results from the fact that theframe supporting theriders is rigid and bears a fixed-relation to all ofthe several Wheels except the single steering-wheel. l

With these objects in view my invention consists of the peculiarconstruction and arrangement hereinafter more fully explained.

In order that those skilled in the art to which'my invention appertainsmay know how to make and use myinvention and understand all of itsadvantages, I will proceed to describe the same, referring by lettersand iigures to the accompanying drawings, in which;-

Figure l is a side elevation of one of my improved multicycles composedof four units or sections and adapted as a whole to carry four riders.Fig. 2 is a detail side-elevation, on an increased scale or full sizeand partly in section, showing the manner of connecting the severalsections other than the first with each other. Fig. 3 is a top or planview of the connections shown in Fig. 2, the horizontal pivot beingshown in section. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view, partly in section,showing the connection between the handlebars on the first or 'leadingsection and the steering mechanism intermediate of said handlebars andthe succeeding section, and also showingthe handle-bars of the secondsection in cross-section; and Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation, partlyin section, showing the manner of securing articulate connection betweenIOO . the first and'lv second sections, and also the [mannerof securingthe handle-bars of the first section and the bah-bearing of the'same.

lIo

Similar letters and numerals of reference indicate like parts in theseveral ligures of `the drawings. v

Y The several sections-of the machine are numbered 1, 2, 3, and-4. Thefirst and the fourthy or last section-frames consist of two` horizontaltubes B B, one vertical tube C at right angles vto the tubes B and onever-- tically-oblique tube D. The intermediate v frames 2 and 3 arecomposed of two horizontal tubes B and three vertical tubes-E in they gframesl and L1. Thefront and rear tubes D, 2O

respectively, vare slightly oblique or at an acute angle to the lowerhorizontal tube B,

; While in all intermediate frames the vertical tubes are three innumber and are all at right angles to the horizontal tube B.

rod-Q, and `securing-nuts R,`with suitable" .The upper horizontal tube Bof frame lis' provided at its front end with a T-"joint F, and thesimilar tube-of the frame 4 is provided at its rear end with a similarT-joint F', each of which T-joints-constitutes supports for the vsaddlesG, mounted on saddleposts II, secured in any adj usted position bybinding-levers I of ordinary construction,

though I prefer to use theconstruction shown and described in anapplication filed by me on even date herewith and bearingySerial No;726,694 for `improvement in bicycles for use in the military service. ll' t t The front frame or No. I is provided with handle-bars. J vJ',secured adj ustably by stems or shanks Kto tubular tw'in heads LbynutsM. The heads Mare connected with a neckv 'N andl vertical stemv'O, thelatter secured 'in ball-bearings, as shown at Fig. 5,.and as illustratedand` described .in my application for' hereinbefore referred to. v

- The front frame No. lis articulatively con'- nected lto frame No.2,1as shown rin Fig. 5, through the mediumof the-rear vertical-tubepatent for improvement in tandem bicycles C of the front frameand,the-forward-vertical tube E 'ofgthe second frame, lugs P,pintleball-bearings (shown in section at Fig. 5 and j tween frames 1 and2 is secured throughthe medium of two fantail or segmental gears lS andT, the formerv secured to the neck LN" of i v ydescribed in saidlast-referred-to application. The succeedingframes'areconnected togetherby pivotal joints, (designated by referenceletter Uin Fig. 1,) andconstructed las shown.`

all as described in the application. lastreferred to) and the verticalarticulationv bethe handle-barhcad L and the latterto the upper-,lug Iof .the tube E, also as shown and full size at Figs.,2 and 3 ,andyconsisting of lugs V V, pivoted horizontally at the upper` 'Ve-inist andlowerextremities of each frame by a vertical screw-bolt V' and to eachother by a vertical screW-bolt W and W and nuts V2, the lugs V andscrew-bolt W being lformed with Aball-races to receive balls X forobvious purposes. j From the'con'nection described frame 2, it'will beseen, has a horizontal articulation with frame 1 and `all succeedingframes have both horizontal and vertical articulation with each other.Frames 1 and 2 are capable of horizontal articulations only, for' thereason that the initial steering impulse is communicated throughthemediumof the handle-bars J on frame l to frame 2 through theintermediate fantail-gears S and T. f

While I prefer to use the articulative joint between the frames orsections, such as shown and` described,'I do not wish to be confined tovanyparticular construction, so long as itis capable of permitting themovements of the frames relativelyl to each other in the direcltionstated, so that the frames may have the lateral swaying orl snake-likemotion and ythe'longitudinal'tundulatory movement explained. The lowerframe-tubesB B of the respective frames 1 2 3 4 are bifurcated, as shownat Fig. 3, to embrace the wheels A, which are mounted in ball-bearingsin the usual or any preferred manner..

5, crank-gear (i, and extension-pedals 7, as described in my pendingapplication last referred to, and the saddles G are so mounted upon thevframes that the riders shall be directly over the axes of the severalwheels, as

` also explained inv said application, in order IOO that the humanmotive force maybe applied to the best advantage. i u

'4 As already explained, the handle-bars J on frame lare so constructedand arranged as fto control the articulation between frames 1 and 2.Rigid handle bars J are secured within both-the front and rear verticaltubes of fframe 2 and in the rear vertical tube of frame `3 andv of anyother number of frames which lmay y be connected or interposed betweenvframe 2 and a final frame similar to frame 4f.

From this construction and arrangement itV vwill be seenthat after frame2 each succeeding riders handle-bars lare mounted in the rear tube oftheframe immediately preceding or in advance, and hence the rider steersthe'whe'el and frame in front of the one he is mounted uponbyartieulatingthe frame upon vthe pivotal joint between them. It will bealso observed that the frames are all separable one from another, andthat when arranged, as shown in Fig.` 1, the lframes 3 and 4 maybe-rem'oved by releasing one or both IIO of the pivot-bolts V, thusleaving frames 1 t and 2 to constitute a tandem.

I desirel itv to b'e vunderstood that while I I'have shown only onesection constructed like frame-No. 1 and connected as shown with frameNo. 2 a train 'may be-made up with sections similar to sections 1 and 2and connected as said sections are shown and with any number ofintermediate sections like No. 3, so that when segregated a number oftandems may be produced like sections l and 2.

In each of the sections it will be seen that the frame' as a whole andthe rider are pivotally mounted -upon the axis of the supporting-wheel,and by reason of the pivotal connection between the several frames anymomentum shock received by any wheel is partially dissipated by therocking movement of the frame upon said wheel and that so far as eachindividual rider is concerned he is, practically speaking, mounted upona unicycle, relieved, however, of the dangers attending such machines asto loss of equilibrium forwardly or backwardly by the sustaining powerof the connected sections or frames in front and rear.

By reason of the connections between the several frames the machine as amulticycle may not only be swayed laterally in a snakelike path, asheretofore described, but vertical movement of the sectionsindependently may take place to adapt the machine through'- out itsentire length to any inequalities in the road with a minimum of verticalmovement of the bodies of the several riders, because the verticalmovement of each wheel is not only independent of every other wheel,but,

for the further reason that the individual.

frames rocking upon their respective wheels are as a pivotal center, thevertical movement is transformed into motion on an arc of which the axisof the wheel is a center.

Recurring to the pivotalor articulative connection of the severalsections of my improved machine and keeping in mind that in machines asat present constructed and designed to carry a multiplicity of ridersthe frame is continuous and rigid longitudinally it will be seen that byreason of the articulative connection of 'several sections incontradistinction to a single rigid frame the frame of my machine as awhole is capable of lateral articulation, adapting the several sectionsand the wheels carried therein to a path of any curve from a straightline, and hence there is no tendency of the wheels following the firstor initial of the series to slue or slide out under the action ofcentrifugal force, as would be the case with a rigid-frame machine. -Idesire also to call particular attention to the fact that each wheel inmy improved multicycle becomes an independent driver, and hence themotive force of the several riders is distributed throughout the severalwheels, or, in other words, each rider exerts his motive force to propelthe wheel over which he is mounted, and no wheel has any naturallyresistant body ahead of it to be pushed or propelled, and hence theslipping action heretofore referred to does not take place. Theavoidance of this action is very important in order that the motiveforce may be exerted to the best advantage and also to protect the tiresof the wheels from the wearing action produced by the slipping andsliding action.

With the frame composed of the articulative sections, the riders mounteddirectly over the respective wheels of each section, and with each wheelconstituting a separate driver and driven with the extra leveragesecured through the use of the extension-pedals and gearing referred toit will be obvious that my improved machine may be given great speed andserve to the best advantage as a pacing-machine in bicycle-races and forother purposes where fast time is desirable or necessary.

Having described the construction, operation, and advantages of myimproved multicycle, what I claim, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. A multicycle composed of independent sections or frames each mountedupon a single wheel and connected one with another by an articulativejoint adapted to permit the frames to move out of the longitudinal planeof the machine, said joint connected with each section by horizon talpivots whereby the carrying capacity may be increased and diminished atwill and the several sections may move vertically and laterallyindependently of each other, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.V

2. A multicycle composed of independent sections or frames, each mountedupon a single wheel and the several sections connected together adjacentto each other and in a plane between the wheels of the respectivesections by a joint or link pivoted horizontally at each end to theadjacent sections or frames, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

3. A multicycle composed of sections each mounted upon a single wheeland articulatively connected one with another, and each provided Wit-h asaddle and handle-bars, the handle-bars of the intermediate sectionsbeing located at the rear end of said sections and in position to begrasped by the rider in rear of said handle-bars, whereby each ridercontrols the path of movement of the section upon which he is mountedand also the one in advance of him, substantially as hereinbefore setforth.

4. A multicycle composed of sections each mounted upon a single wheeland articulatively connected one with another and each provided with asaddle and handle-bars, the handle-bars of the sections intermediate ofthe leading and trailing sections, being located adjacent to thearticulative joint between the sections and adapted to cause saidsections to articulate, substantially as described. I

5. In combination with the frames l, 2, 3, 4t, the articulativeconnections U between each section, composed of lugs V secured to the`frames by horizontal pivots V', and to each other by vertical pivots W,W', substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. Ina multicycle having a leading section, In testimony whereof aix mysignate intermediate sections 2 and 3, and rear seein presence oft'wowitnesses. tion 4, the lugs V secured to sections 2, Sand 4f, andformed with bau-races, in amlatina JAMES 0 ANDERSON 5 tion withantifrietion-balls X, screw-bolts W, Witnesses: formed with ball-races,and the securing-nuts Y J ENNIE G. BOOTH,

VV,- substantially as shown and described! SMITH DQFRY.

